Those who yearned for the good old days, with snow piled up to the eaves, have gotten their wish this winter; however, the “rest of the story” is that in the good old days, the wood-burning stoves were fueled by stacks of cordwood cut on the back 40 – no need to buy fuel. And in those days, cellar shelves were piled high with preserved food and the freezer was full, too. Grocery trips were few and far between.

Times have changed and not always for the better. More and more people are using the local food pantry. Trips to the grocery store are rationed to save gas and once we get there, it seems like everything costs more. Few people have a woodlot anymore and fewer still, burn wood, except for a fireplace. In these modern times, with oil being the premium fuel, many of our neighbors are finding themselves in peril.

In Windham, a group of citizens, spearheaded by Sen. Bill Diamond, has decided to do something about the emergencies happening right now. As Diamond said, “We have a serious situation right here in Windham which we all need to be aware of and address immediately.

Specifically, we have discovered that there are some families in town who can’t afford to buy heating fuel and to make matters worse, have gotten caught up in bureaucratic red tape when applying for emergency assistance through the various agencies who ordinarily provide help in these cases. As a result some families have gone without heat for their homes and in some cases, for several days.”

Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors Network has but one purpose: to identify those people in town who need emergency help purchasing heating fuel and/or food and to find help for them.

The elderly especially, often cannot leave their home for a variety of reasons; maybe they can’t shovel the snow from around their car; perhaps they are not well or their vehicle isn’t running. They may run out of heating fuel or because of their income, don’t have money to buy food. This is a dreadful situation in which to be. But it’s not just the elderly who find themselves in dire straits; there are others who may need help.

Like other groups in town, Windham Neighbors would welcome volunteers who would be willing to be a contact person for people who either need emergency help or who may know of someone who needs short term help.

The goal is to expand awareness of the Neighbors Network, therefore increasing the probability of identifying those who need emergency help.

The Neighbors are a diverse group and look forward to helping make winter a little more bearable for our fellow residents.

For more information or to provide information, please contact any of the following people: Sen. Bill Diamond, 892-8941; Rep. Gary Plummer, 892-6088; Rep. Mark Bryant, 892-6591; Debbie Davis, 892-9341; Joan and Ed Gauthier, 892-9380; Marge Govoni, 892-7192; Stephanie Vary, 892-4918; Madeline Roberts, 329-4471; Linda Griffin, 650-7484; Matt Cyr, 892-2525; Dave Tobin, 892-4620; Bob and Barb Muir, 892-6090; Bob Wehmeyer, 892-0293 or Norma Rogers, 892-5608.

Financial contributions are also very important for those instances when Neighbors will need to purchase emergency fuel or food. All contributions are welcome and checks should be made out to: Neighbors Helping Neighbors and can be mailed to: Norma Rogers, 250 Windham Center Road, Windham, ME 04062 or Bill Diamond, 261 Windham Center Road, Windham, ME 04062 or Bob Wehmeyer, 34 Jeffrey Woods Road, Windham, ME 04062.

Be a good neighbor. Spread the word. See you next week.